


Mystery with a Smile

by Nehanshika_524



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, GHOST AU GHOST AU GHOST AU, Ghost Hunters, M/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery, lance is a fuckin GHOST YALL
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-12-26 02:02:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nehanshika_524/pseuds/Nehanshika_524
Summary: Among desolate, moon-lit hallways, he wanders. He is cold, blue, and eerie in the darkened gloom of night.His name is a mystery. He died years in the past- but not many- and haunts his old house still. Among desolate, moon-lit hallways, he wanders.And waits.-In which Keith tries to become an expert ghost hunter, and what he finds is far from what he expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AYYYYY this is based on sunbellas' super-cute ghost AU on tumblr!!! you can check out the post here:  
> http://sunbellas.tumblr.com/post/161416172162/30-days-of-klance-day-3-haunted-tfw-youre-a  
> A lil disclaimer: i have adhd! which makes! writing! really hard! so, dont expect too many chapters too soon. There will be more of this story, i promise! just, uh. not right away.  
> enjoy!

Among desolate, moon-lit hallways, he wanders. He is cold, blue, and eerie in the darkened gloom of night. He was a breath you could hear that didn’t belong to you, sounding in the middle of the night; a sudden chill in the otherwise warm room; a draft of cold air even though the windows are shut.

His name is a mystery. He died years in the past- but not many- and haunts his old house still. Among desolate, moon-lit hallways, he wanders.

And waits.

* * *

 

It was midnight, and Keith was regretting every life choice he’d ever made up until this point. As passionate as he was about this, the sheer risk of what he was doing should’ve far outweighed his curiosity. But no, it didn’t, it hadn’t, and now he was standing in front of an ominously disused house in the hopes of discovering- and maybe defeating- something paranormal.

Keith tried the doorknob, but as soon as he touched it, it fell from its oak door, landing with a dull _thud_ on the doorstep. He paused for a moment, then slowly pushed on the door. It eased open soundlessly, revealing a dark hallway. He tried to ignore the quickened beating of his heart as the darkness grew, tendril-like, from the corners of the house.

He tried to take a deep breath. He’d be fine. He had a torch. Torches were good. He switched it on, taking a tentative, careful step inside the darkened house.

A gust of wind slammed the door shut behind him, and turned in alarm, the air stilling and quieting after the sudden disturbance. Keith shivered. _Okay, that happened. Well, at least we haven’t gone full Silent Hill yet, right?_

It’d be quite beautiful dramatic irony if his torch had suddenly flickered and died at this point, but instead, it held strong, and Keith began to walk slowly down the hallway, shining said torch nervously at anything that moved.

The hallway branched off into several different rooms- about halfway down, an ornate archway led to what looked like a living room. On the other side, he could see a short stairway leading upwards. Continuing down the hallway led to… Well, Keith couldn’t see, exactly. His torch wasn’t that great. Hey, ghost hunters can’t always afford good torches, okay?

Foolishly, he continued down the hallway, trying to ignore that sudden chill on his skin, telling himself the breathing growing steadily louder on his neck was his imagination, pretending not to notice the darting shadows appearing in his peripherals, but skittering away as soon as he tried to look directly at them.

The breathing came closer; the chill, more acute. Those shadows began coalescing into misshapen, barely-perceivable monsters, and the darkness became a crushing weight, the fog at the end of the hallway growing thicker, growing _closer_. Keith’s heart quickened, his breathing coming out jagged and panicked, and he wanted to close his eyes but something, some instinct borne of pure terror forced them open, and open they stayed. The darkness crept in closer, ever closer.

“ _BZZZT!_ ” A sudden yell from his phone startled him, and he leaped about three feet into the air. It was a text from Pidge, asking if he’d found the house or been killed by a ghost or what. Keith smiled, relaxing, and sent a few texts back:

 

Pidgeon: hellloooooo?

Secretly Jason Dean: hello pidge. this is the ghost. youre next.

Pidgeon: ha-ha.

Pidgeon: so didja kill it ?

Secretly Jason Dean: no, not yet

Secretly Jason Dean: havent even seen him. you sure the rumour was about this place?

Secretly Jason Dean: or had any actual merit?

Pidgeon: i mean, i got it off the cryptid wikia, so,

Secretly Jason Dean: wow.

Pidgeon: hey, it’s hard to find legit ghost stories these days.

Pidgeon: anyway, send selfies with mothman or whomstever the heck youre hunting!!

Secretly Jason Dean: will do

 

He put his phone away, and looked up to see a strange, translucent boy grinning at him, hovering upside-down with his arms crossed. “Boo!”

Keith’s eyes widened and he stumbled back with a yelp. Trying to scramble away, he fell back onto the rotting floorboards, and stayed there, frozen, staring at the glowing, spectral boy floating above him.

The boy- the ghost?- laughed out loud, the sound echoing in Keith’s mind. He flickered in and out of view, twirling through the dead air, disappearing and reappearing, and for a moment Keith couldn’t recall what it reminded him of.   _He’s kinda like… the Cheshire Cat._ “That was great! You should’ve seen your face, oh man!” The ghost laughed. Keith’s stomach flipped.

Slowly, he stood up, ignoring the shaking in his hands. “Wh-who…” He began, voice trembling. He took a deep breath. “Who are you? What’s your name?”

The strange boy floated closer to him- _uncomfortably_ close, Keith noted, his breath hitching- lying on his belly, head tilted to the side. “Wait, you can still see me? Like, my face, and everything?”

“Should I… not?”

“I dunno. Most people stop seeing me after around three seconds. Although,” he added, grinning widely again, “three seconds is usually more than enough to scare someone, so I’m cool with that.”

Keith was going to say something cool, like, “I’ve come here to do away with you, ghost!” But instead, he stared at the ghost, distracted by the way his hair floated gently around him as if underwater, like a blue halo. It was so delicate, and yet looked so real- Keith almost felt he could reach out to touch it.

“Uh, hello? Earth-to… whatever-your-name-is?” The ghost waved a blue-tinged hand in front of Keith’s face. “You there?”

Keith’s eyes widened and snapped out of it, feeling his face grow hot. “U-uh…” He cleared his throat, averting his eyes. When he looked back at the ghost, he was smirking, an eyebrow raised. Keith tried very hard to ignore that.

“I’ve come- I’m here to get rid of you.” He said finally, hoping he sounded tough and imposing. The shock on the ghost’s face was palpable; his smile fell, and he looked… hurt. “What? Why?”

Keith took a deep breath, about to launch into some kind of epic monologue, when the ghost shook his head nervously. He turned pale, eyes widening, and started to back away. “Doesn’t matter. Listen, y-you need to get out of here,” he said shakily. Keith stood up a little taller. “And why should I?” He said defiantly.

The ghost glanced at him, fearful, and Keith realised he’d been staring at something just over his left shoulder- not at him. Keith went to turn around, but the ghost took him by the shoulders and pulled him close. Keith’s heart flipped over. “No,” he said desperately, voice small and low, “you don’t understand. Y-you have to leave, now! Just go, okay?”

The ghost disappeared into cobalt mist, his icy fingers leaving a cold wake on Keith’s shoulders. Keith dared a glance behind him, and saw nothing- and the ghost boy was nowhere to be seen. He almost called out for the ghost before realising he never learnt his name.

 _I guess ‘Cheshire Cat’ isn’t such a bad alias for a ghost,_ he thought, trying not to smile. But he was unnerved. Why was that ghost so scared? What _are_ ghosts even afraid of?

Keith frowned. He’d figure it out later, he guessed. Slowly, he made his way back to the front door, easing it open and letting it shut softly behind him.

The question bugged him as he drove home, dim headlights barely lighting the misty road in front of him, almost outshone by the full moon. But the more the adrenaline wore off, and the more he realised just what had happened to him, the more excited he became because _holy shit I just met a fucking GHOST_. So, sure, he’d figure out exactly what was going on with his latest discovery.

But first, he had to tell Pidge _everything._


	2. Chapter 2

“You are kidding me. You are actually, literally, genuinely kidding me.” Pidge said in disbelief.

“I’m not. Look, if you want to come with me next time, be my guest.”

“You’re going _back_?!”

It was around 2 in the morning, and Pidge and Keith were on a Skype call together. Keith had filled in Pidge on all the details of what happened- minus the part where the ghost had disappeared out of fright- but was still reeling. He himself couldn’t believe it had happened.

“Uh, yeah, I’m going back. How could I not? This is a real ghost we’re talking about, Pidge.” Keith said. Pidge sat up a little straighter. “So… you weren’t kidding about me coming along?”

“No. Look, meet me after school tomorrow, and I’ll show you, okay?”

 

* * *

 

Pidge looked up at the looming, three-storey building with apprehension. “So… This is the place?” Keith nodded, gently tugging at her arm. “Yeah. Come on.” He pushed open the door, and paused for a moment before entering.

“Hello?” He called. “Hey, ghost kid. It’s me again.”

“Hey, there, ghost. It’s me, ya boy.” Pidge said under her breath. Keith elbowed her shoulder. “Ow!” She laughed.

Just as Keith expected him too, the ghost appeared again. Pidge’s eyes widened a fraction, her smile falling, and she took a step back. Keith stood his ground, feeling… something, at seeing the ghost boy again. Relief, almost? But he just looked at them both silently.

“Uh, hey,” He said slowly. “Why did you… come back? And who’s he?” He gestured towards Pidge. Keith tried to smile. “She, actually. Her name’s Pidge. She’s harmless. I was- well, curious about you.”

The ghost tilted his head to the side as Pidge slowly crept closer, staying glued to Keith’s side. “Curious about me? Why?” He floated a little closer to Keith.

Keith’s cheeks felt hot. Was breathing always this difficult? “U-uh… I’ve never met a ghost before?” He answered lamely, heart pounding. But it was a decent question. Why _was_ he so intrigued by this particular ghost? "I guess you're just interesting to me." Keith smiled. _What am I saying?_

Pidge paused for a moment. “Wait…” She looked between Keith and the ghost incredulously. “Wh… Oh my God. Oh, my _GOD_.” She stepped away from him, eyes wide, fear apparently forgotten. “Oh my GOD. OH MY GOD.”

“Pidge?”

“I NEED A MOMENT OUTSIDE.” She stalked out, still repeating “OH MY GOD,” loudly. The door slammed behind her.

“What’s her deal?” The ghost asked. Keith shrugged. He turned back to the ghost boy. “Listen, um… What is your name, anyway?”

The ghost looked at him, Keith unable to read his expression. “Lance,” he said, softly. “The name’s Lance.”

Keith shifted. “I’m Keith. I… Why are you looking at me like that? It’s making me nervous.”

Lance tilted his head, his hair gently floating, still, Keith thought, as if underwater. He still had that odd expression in his eyes- soft, strange, unreadable. Eventually, he said “Nobody’s asked my name before. I forgot… I didn’t remember…” He shook himself slightly. It was so human, so normal... Keith stared for a moment.

“Anyway, why are you- Why come back? I mean, I’m a ghost. I’m dead. Not really that much to tell—“

“I want to help you, Lance.”

The ghost- Lance- started. Clearly, that wasn’t what he expected. “What? No, no, no. I don’t need help, dude. I’m fine. I’m dead! Why would I need help?” He said, attempting to smile casually. It was a little too stiff, his voice a little too quick. He glanced around nervously. “I’m fine. Just… I dunno, go back home and write about me on a blog or something. But don’t come back. You don’t need to be here, Keith,” Lance said. Keith’s breath hitched; for some reason, he wanted to hear him say his name again. “…So just- go, okay?” Lance said, backing away.

Keith stepped towards him, a hand outstretched. “Lance, wait—“

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” He said gently, so quiet Keith barely heard it. And then he vanished, leaving Keith alone in the hallway. He sighed, closing his eyes, and turned back towards the door. Pidge was waiting for him outside, looking solemn.

“Keith, are you… okay? I heard—“

“I really don’t want to talk about it, Katie.” Pidge shut up. When Keith brought out the real-name, not the nickname, she knew it was serious. “Okay,” she said quietly, and they walked towards Keith’s car in relative silence.

On the way home, Keith asked. “…What were you so shocked about all of a sudden, anyway?”

“OH.” Pidge said. “Oh, that. Yeah, I was wondering when you were going to bring that up.”

“Bring… what up?”

“I don’t know, maybe, hmm, the fact that you have a _crush on a goddamn ghost?_ ”

“Excuse me?”

“You were blushing, Keith. Blushing. Because a ghost asked you why you were there. You stuttered. You kept staring at his eyes. You _flirted_. With a ghost! I've never even seen you flirt before. You have a crush on a fucking ghost, Keith, don’t even try to deny it.”

It was Keith’s turn to shut up. Silently fuming, he pulled up at Pidge’s house. “Wait, you aren’t going to deny it?”

“You told me not to.”

“So- so does this mean I was right?” She asked as Keith shut the door. “About you crushing on a ghost? Like, I’m right about that? Or—“

“Goodbye, Pidge.” Keith started to drive away, smirking.

“ _Hey!_ Hey, come back! I want answers, Keith!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS REALLY SHORT AND RUSHED AND BAD AND I'M SO, SO SORRY I JUST REALLY LOOK UP TO THE ARTIST WHOSE WORK I BASED THIS ON AND I HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY I AM A TEXTBOOK PEOPLE PLEASER AND I CRAVE VALIDATION!!!!!!!!! so i wanted to get this chapter out like. as soon as possible because i want to actually continue and pursue this story and make it Clear that i plan to finish it ahahahahahahahahaha  
> have i mentioned i crave validation

**Author's Note:**

> questions? comments? requests? hmu on my writing blog: dhillarearenn !


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